Map of West Bank | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999 Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000 as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003 the Quartet (US EU UN and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004 Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless Israel controls maritime airspace and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006 the Islamic Resistance Movement HAMAS won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel would not renounce violence and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006 but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007 resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However fighting continued in the Gaza Strip and in June 2007 HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of


top of page


Location: Middle East west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N 35 15 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 5,860 km²
Rank: 171
Land: 5,640 km²
Water: 220 km²
Note: includes West Bank Latrun Salient and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 404 km
Border countries: (2) Israel 307 km; Jordan 97 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude warm to hot summers cool to mild winters

Terrain: mostly rugged dissected upland some vegetation in west but barren in east

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
Extremes highest point: Tall Asur 1022 m

Natural resources: arable land

Land use
Arable land: 16.9%
Permanent crops: 18.97%
Other: 64.13% (2001)

Irrigated land: 150 km²; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites - including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 29 sites in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)


top of page


Population: 2,461,267
Rank: 140
Note: in addition there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 2.178% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 45
Below poverty line: 46% (2007 est.)

Nationality
Noun: NA
Adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 83% Jewish 17%

Languages: Arabic Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians) English (widely understood)

Religions: Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni) Jewish 17% Christian and other 8%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.3%
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 744,822/female 708,695)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 37,471/female 52,666) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 20.5 years
Male: 20.4 years
Female: 20.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.178% (2009 est.)
Rank: 45

Birth rate: 25.44 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 68

Death rate: 3.66 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 210

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 81

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 72% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.96 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 123
Male: 17.87 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.93 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.54 years
Rank: 89
Male: 72.54 years
Female: 76.65 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.22 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 65

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 92.4%
Male: 96.7%
Female: 88% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2006)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: West Bank

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001 and even more severely in 2002 Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital the disruption of administrative structures and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005 high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since then the FAYYAD government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $11.95 billion (2008 est.)
Rank: 142
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 0.8% (2008 est.)
Rank: 185

Real gdp per capita: $2,900 (2008 est.)
Rank: 166
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8%
Industry: 13%
Services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2007 est.)

Agriculture products: olives citrus vegetables; beef dairy products

Industries: cement quarrying textiles soap olive-wood carvings and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers

Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Rank: 96

Labor force: 605,000 (2006)
Rank: 149
By occupation agriculture: 17%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 68% (June 2008)

Unemployment rate: 18.6% (2006)
Rank: 158

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 46% (2007 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.149 billion
Expenditures: $2.31 billion
Note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.6% (2006)
Rank: 166
Note: data in include Gaza Strip

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.73% (31 December 2006)
Rank: 111

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $368.2 million (31 December 2007)
Rank: 101

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 94

Current account balance

Exports: $301 million (2005)
Rank: 172
Note: includes Gaza Strip
Commodities: olives fruit vegetables limestone

Imports: $2.44 billion (2005)
Rank: 165
Commodities: food consumer goods construction materials

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.3 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 149

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.) 4.14 (2007) 4.4565 (2006) 4.4877 (2005) 4.482 (2004)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 500 million kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities such as Nablus and Janin generate their own electricity from small power plants
Production rank: 160
Consumption: 3.265 billion kWh
Consumption rank: 121
Imports: 2.8 billion kWh

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 348,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 111
Mobile cellular: 1.153 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 140

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
International: country code - 970 (2004)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ps; note - same as Gaza Strip
Users: 356,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2008)
Users rank: 118

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2009)
Rank: 204
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 5,147 km
Rank: 153
Paved: 5,147 km
Note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a 'seam line' separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948 about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires supervise armistice agreements prevent isolated incidents from escalating and assist other UN personnel in the region

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 722,000 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)

Illicit drugs